1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of consumer product sales and, more particularly, to a method and system for measuring retail store display compliance through automated, digital image capture and analysis.
2. Background of the Invention
Sales of consumer products have been shown to increase dramatically with the use of large displays set up in secondary locations in high traffic areas of a retail store in comparison with sales of the same product sold directly from their primary shelf location. As a result, manufacturers spend billions of dollars annually purchasing display space in retail stores in the form of, for example, end-of-aisle displays, stand-alone displays, point-of-sale displays, pallet displays, etc. In some instances, manufacturers may pay retailers a fee for the prime placement of products in grocery stores or supermarkets for specified periods of time to facilitate the products sale, for example, shelves at eye level or at end-of-aisle displays.
To ensure that the retailer is adequately showcasing its product and display, a manufacturer typically sends its personnel or an independent auditor to visit the retail location. The auditor verifies whether or not the display has been set up in a manner satisfactory to and paid for by the manufacturer. However, the problem with such audits is that they normally are done on a sample basis, usually less than 10% of the total market. The frequency of the audits is very limited, no more than once a week. For example, it is expensive and difficult to regularly inspect hundreds of chains of retail stores, especially if they are located all over the country. Results are then projected for a chain or market based on this small sample. Because items in grocery stores, for example, have a high rate of turns, displays change from day to day, which makes the current method of reporting not a fair representation of the actual store conditions.
Manufacturers often find themselves paying billions of dollars for retail display space with no adequate way to ensure that retail stores are in fact merchandising their promoted products in the location and for the amounts of time for which payment has been made. Accordingly, there is a need for a reliable and efficient way to audit retail store display compliance.